Team principal Fred Vasseur explained how Ferrari went from bracing for a tough weekend to rueing a missed opportunity for back-to-back wins at the F1 Monaco GP.
Just a week ago, the idea of Ferrari being a front-runner in Monaco seemed unlikely, especially after the underwhelming qualifying performance on home soil in Imola. On Thursday, Charles Leclerc downplayed chances of repeating his 2024 home win, citing Ferrari’s ongoing struggles in low-speed corners.
He immediately defied those expectations, proving competitive right out the gate and going on to top all three practice sessions across Friday and Saturday. He remained a strong contender in qualifying, going head-to-head with the McLaren duo and Max Verstappen. Though he narrowly missed out on pole to Lando Norris and had to settle for P2 in the race, the weekend stood out as one of Ferrari’s most convincing showings so far this season.
Unexpected pace shift raised expectations
Vasseur was tight-lipped on the details of the turnaround, but believes the maximum was achieved from the race. He credited the result to a mix of circuit-specific features and Leclerc’s execution across the weekend.
“It’s true that after Imola, the level of expectation was not mega high because we were struggling in Miami and Imola,” Vasseur told written media after the race.
“We were struggling a lot in the low speed corners, we were struggling in quali, and the low speed corners in quali are key in Monaco. That means that the level of expectation was not mega coming to Monte Carlo.
“But it’s true also that after FP1, FP2, and FP3 the level of expectation was a bit different. And we were a bit frustrated yesterday evening with P2.
“I think today, honestly, we did the job. It was difficult to expect much more starting from P2, except if something happened at the front. But we can’t ask much more from Charles and the team today.”
No guarantees the pace will carry over
Ferrari has struggled with their qualifying form this season, making it difficult to achieve high-scoring positions on Sunday. In Monaco, however, both cars made it into Q3, with Leclerc having a realistic shot at pole until the final moments of the session.
Despite the sudden improvement in qualifying form, the Frenchman admitted the key to unlocking this level of performance at every circuit has not yet been found.
“This weekend, even if we are not happy with P2, I think we did a much better job in the preparation of the weekend,” Vasseur said. “It went well. But it’s not that we understood everything, and it will work on every single track.
“I think that this is true for us, this is true for everybody on the grid. With the tyres sometimes, you finish the weekend, you [feel you have] everything under control, and you have to start from scratch the week after. You have to keep an open mind and do a good job again [next week].”
A stark assessment of Ferrari’s form after eight rounds
Regardless of the positive weekend, Vasseur conceded that the team had “underperformed” in the first few rounds of the season.
“My expectation and the summary of the season didn’t change with this weekend,” Vasseur stated.
“I think we didn’t do a mega strong first part of the season. I don’t know how many races we did—eight now, the first third, let’s say. We underperformed compared to expectations, this is mega clear, we have to be honest with ourselves. Even if we had a good race this weekend, it’s not changing completely the picture.
“Now, I feel also that we have a positive trend in the last two or three races, with the race pace in Jeddah, the race pace in Imola, the complete weekend in Monaco. If we can start the second part of the season in this pace, it’s good.”
